Mexican Stuffed Shells

This dish combines two of my favorite things: stuffed shells and Mexican spices.  When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it.

I really liked the way it turned out.  I like it just as much as I like regular tacos (which, believe me, is a whole lot).

Zack says he likes regular tacos better, but he isn’t a big fan of any type of pasta, so that’s understandable.

That being said, I would definitely make it again.  It found a place in my ‘favorites’ recipe binder.

For those of you that don’t know, instead of having cookbooks with pages marked everywhere, I print out all of the recipes I want to try (if they’re in a cookbook, I just copy them).  Then, I put them in a binder that I have organized by food types.  After I try a recipe, it gets moved to either the ‘favorites’ binder or to the trash.  In my opinion, it’s a great way to keep everything organized and allow you to quickly see what recipes you have.  Plus, you don’t have to search for a recipe, you know exactly where it is.  Can you tell I’m pretty anal about organization? 🙂

Mm, cheesy, spicy goodness.  The original recipe called for two cups of cheese, but one cup was definitely enough.  Two cups would have been overpowering.

When I make it again, I might leave out the cream cheese, too.  I didn’t really see where it helped or hurt the flavor and it’s just extra calories.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

– 1 lb ground turkey (or beef)

– 1 package taco seasoning (or use homemade!)

– 4 oz cream cheese

– 14-16 jumbo pasta shells

– 1 1/2 cups salsa

– 1 cup taco sauce

– 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

– 3 green onions, optional

– sour cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a frying pan, cook ground turkey/beef and add seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted.  Blend well.  Set aside and cool completely.  While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain.  Set shells out individually, taking care that they do not all stick together.

Pour salsa on the bottom of 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture.  Place shells in 9×13 dish, open side up.  Cover shells with taco sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10 minutes more uncovered.  Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, jalapenos).  Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa, if desired.